Totally Sonic Beginnings: Children of the Ring
by StoryMaker the Echidna
Summary: Two hedgehog brothers, Jules and Charles, have mighty destinies to fulfill that will take them down very different paths...and shape Mobius' future. This story is lamely written, but has some interesting fanon ideas, so you might enjoy it. It was going to be the first installment of my own Sonic canon, which I haven't continued, but this story can stand by itself.
1. Prologue

_Before you start reading, I would like to quickly clarify what this story - or rather, the entire in-progress Totally Sonic series - is. It is my own Sonic canon, sort of. You see, for me it would be impossible, and not at all worthwhile, for me to just make a story based on a single version of the Sonic canon (games, Archie comics, etc.) and stick to that canon, even if it says things I don't like. I like certain aspects of many universes of Sonic, but I also dislike many aspects in a given universe. Instead of laying layers on a pre-established canon, then, I am basically building my own version of the Sonic universe from the ground up._

_Now, don't get me wrong. Even though this is my own version of the Sonic story, I still stick with much of the well-established canon and I don't make broad, sweeping changes just for the sake of being different. Totally Sonic is similar to the games, Archie comics, and SatAM in many ways. But, like I said, this is my own story, and I am not consistent with all Sonic universes (as such is impossible) and I am not consistent with any one universe either (as such is not preferable for me). Also, you'll notice many things don't have any particular grounds in any pre-established Sonic aspect. Some things are largely the result of my own imagination or inspired by various non-Sonic things._

_In other words, enjoy the story. XD_

_PS: Someday I'll make a fan comic out of this and publish it elsewhere, so stay tuned! (Just remember, I'm a huge procrastinator.)_

**Totally ****S****o****nic**

**The Complete Sonic the Hedgehog Chronicle**

**A Series of Fan Fictions by StoryMaker**

**Book 1**

**Children of the Ring: An Origin Story**

**Prologue**

South Island. Thousands of years ago.

Currently, the tropical isle was inhabited by a large assortment of Mobians, under the rule of the monarch Alexander Acorn. Only a few years had passed since the mysterious "Chaos Catastrophe" had stuck the Echidna people, and it seemed to have knocked the Chaos Emeralds - the greatest sources of power on Mobius - off balance. And, as you should know, if a great source of power is off-balance, it cannot be utilized to its fullest potential. Large amounts of scientists were now investigating the problem, trying to find out what exactly happened to the emeralds. Two of those scientists were Professor Arnold Weezilian, a young adult weasel, and his mentor Raxice, a very intelligent hyrax.

As they sat together this day, they talked. Weezilian was fingering a purple Chaos Emerald - the only emerald they could find at the time.

"Something about these emeralds," Weezilian said, "is so...chaotic."

Raxice snorted. "They always were. It seems, though, that we forgot about their instability and a catastrophe had to happen to remind us."

"So much power," Weezilian said. "Why can't we control it? They could in the old days."

"Supposedly," Raxice said. "I'm not sure anyone has ever had a very good grasp of their energies. For a while, the Water Spirit of the echidna people helped them channel the chaotic energies, I know that much..."

"But it got corrupted, I hear," Weezilian grumbled.

Raxice nodded. "Supposedly. Still haven't heard much about that incident. Seems it practically wiped out the echidnas."

"Can't say I mind too terribly much," Weezilian said. "After all they've done to us."

Raxice was silent for a while. Just then, a teenage purple hedgehog walked up to Weezilian.

"Maszer, yor drink," he said, clearly very unfamiliar with the language.

"Ah, yes. Good Abishai," he said, picking up a glass and taking a sip.

Raxice glanced toward the hedgehog slave. "Abishai is rather fast," he said, picking up his glass.

"Hm. Yes," Weezilian said with a smile. "Great runner, and he hardly spills the drinks anymore."

"Ever since you beat him," Raxice said, half-growling.

Weezilian bristled. "Oh, everyone gets punished in their youth, slave or not. I don't act that cruel towards him, and I don't see what you have against slavery. I mean, as long as you're kind to them, I don't see the problem. Anyway, you know Abishai would have nowhere to go without me. The Hedjillians cast him out."

"Yes, I know," Raxice sighed. "Let's get back to the emeralds."

"Yes, let's," Weezilian said. He examined the glimmering crystal. "Something is missing. We need to find a means to connect with it, you know?"

"Yes, but _what _means?"Raxice said.

Weezilian sighed. "I wish I knew, but I don't have any idea, and as long as I don't, we're getting nowhere. Maybe..." He picked up a slab of a crystal-like substance.

"Ah, yes, the energy-absorbent material you found in the underground mines," Raxice said. "Thought it might help, but didn't find much of use."

"Yes...but do you think it's possible there's something else helpful underground?"

Raxice shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Well, I want to find out," Weezilian said, standing up. "I'm going to go into the Crystal Mines. I'll be back as soon as I find something."

"Well, you might not find anything," Raxice said, "but go ahead. It's better than lazing around, making up strange theories like children."

Weezilian smiled and ran off.

* * *

Abishai watched as his master disappeared in the distance. He sat down. He wish he knew more of what they were saying, but he couldn't grasp the language. It seemed that every day he would hear several new unfamiliar words.

He knew something, though. He knew they were talking about the emeralds.

He remembered his mother telling him about them. In ancient times, she said, the Hedjillian tribe and the Knuckles tribe worked together to discover some of their secrets. She told him about how the Controller and the Seven Servers were bound together, like a ring of harmony, but, because of the battle between Good and Evil, Positive and Negative, they were at the same time always bound by chaos.

And it seemed that evil had won over the echidnas. Once, they, like the emeralds, were in a binding ring of friendship with the Hedjillians, but that has changed. They were desperate to have all the power they could, and they attacked the Hedjillians, killing and capturing many...including his parents. He survived, though, and went into hiding with the other survivors. When the echidnas were virtually destroyed by the Chaos Catastrophe, the tribe attempted to recover, but they simply couldn't take care of everyone.

That was how he met his Master. Serving him, he could stay alive, but he wasn't happy. He was bound to serve his Master, an arbitrary figure he couldn't even communicate with. He knew he ought to be content, but it was hard when you had no friends and no life outside of obeying an authority figure who had no interest in you outside of what you could do for him.

And then...there were the emeralds.

His Master and his companion were trying to find something out about them, he could tell, and Abishai wanted to, well, do it with them. He wished he was their companion and not a slave. All the things he could tell them, all the things he could learn!

It made him angry that it would never be this way. But it didn't really matter how he felt nowadays.

Abishai sighed. He fingered the slab of crystal-like mineral that his master had found underground. It was somewhat plain, but he liked the way the light reflected on it. It reminded him of his mother's jewelry.

It reminded him of the tales and the dreams, and the talk of being together with the echidnas and the emeralds in a ring of harmony again.

Just then, Abishai felt as if some holy angels were whispering into his ears, quietly. Without thinking about it, Abishai picked up the slab and a chisel and began to chip at it. He didn't know why, but for some reason it felt like the right thing to do at that moment, like the Heavenly King himself wanted him to.

* * *

"Hey!" Weezilian side-stepped, narrowly missing a rock about to fall on his head. He grumbled. He wished that he would be able to burrow with a device of some sorts, which would shield you from harm as you traveled. But all of his attempts had problems such as engine failure.

_Maybe, _he thought, _we'd someday be able to power engines by Chaos Emerald...if we can find a way to connect with it. Yes, that's right. Stay on track._

He had found a few more samples of the energy-absorbent material, and a few ordinary crystals, but aside from that, nothing useful. He sighed. Maybe he'd never find anything good.

"Hmm?" He though he saw something glimmer. He looked around. His eyes brightened. Sure enough, there was a glowing golden crystal, a bit like a Chaos Emerald.

Somehow, Weezilian just knew that it was going to be a help...a big help. In fact, it might just be the key.

Weezilian slowly approached the glimmering stone. Then, he grabbed it. And pulled. And pulled.

"Grrnkh!" Weezilian groaned as he yanked with all his might. He gasped for breath. It wasn't coming out of the cave wall. He needed his pick-axe. He snatched it off his belt and held it high, ready to tear the crystal out and bring it back above ground.

Alas! The pick-axe was of no more use than his bare hands. The crystal was tucked deep within the wall. Weezilian picked away for what seemed like hours, but it was stuck just as hard as it was before.

After he had picked away for what seemed like an eternity and had no success to speak of, Weezilian was angry. And when people are angry, they do things which they wouldn't normally - crazy things which don't help anything - just because they're mad and they have to take their anger out on _some_thing.

Weezilian slung the axe back, and brought it forward - right on the glimmering stone, shattering it to pieces. Weezilian gasped, then shrieked, for out of its remains golden energy blasted out full-force. He ran and ran as fast as he could toward the exit, but the energy could not be stopped, and it too blasted out of the mine.

* * *

_Chip, chip, chip._

"Ah," said Abishai. He knew his creation was done.

He held up a plain, but almost perfectly shaped, crystal ring.

* * *

"_Urk!" _Weezilian's shoulder was scraped by the blast, causing him to fall to his knees. The heat, the irritation, and the pain caused Weezilian's eyes to cloud with tears. This was the end!

Just then, Weezilian looked up. The energy was arcing westward. Confused, he got up and walked in the same direction as the flow of power. He could hardly believe what he saw.

His slave - Abishai - was holding up a ring. The tide of energy was swirling around it, flowing steadily into it. It continued flowing, until all of its fullness was completely contained in the ring, which glowed with the radiance of the purest, most beautiful gold. Weezilian couldn't utter a word.

Abishai basked in the warmth of the glow as he felt the energy. He slowly let his grip loosen, allowing the ring to hover on its own. Then, the most amazing thing happened. Out of the ring, more rings came forth, and more, and more, and more, spreading all over the land.

Abishai couldn't remember being this happy. He thought of his mother, and his father, and the Heavenly King himself smiling on him.

Softly, Abishai uttered a phrase in his native tongue. "Unas Docir, graundes resu."

Single Ring, great impact.


	2. Chapter 1: Ring Speed

**Chapter 1**

_Slam!_

"Da-ad! We're ho-ome!"

Two young blue hedgehogs walked through their front door. Jules, 12, was a rich, royal blue with a lock of brownish hair on his forehead and a patch of brown fur on his chest. Charles, 17, was a paler blue color and his spines were arched a bit higher than his brothers'.

Their father, Mr. Maurice Hedgehog, was a blue hedgehog with brown-edged spikes that turned slightly upward. He turned to look at his sons. "Welcome home, boys," he said. "How was school?"

"Same old, same old," Jules said dully. "But they assigned _tons _of history homework." He groaned at the thought of his least favorite subject.

"I don't see your problem with history," their father said. "I've always loved it."

"Yeah, I know," Jules said. "You keep talking about how our family is related to the Hedjillian tribe, and how they're the first people to make rings, and all of that stuff."

"Yes, and that reminds me," their father continued, "I have something important to tell you."

"Hmm?" Jules' ears perked slightly.

"But it will have to wait until after homework," his father said. "Go along, then."

"Humph," Jules said grumpily, heading upstairs to the study room. "Boy, I love history," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Ah, that Jules is quite a character," Mr. Hedgehog said. He turned to Charles, who looked a tad distraught. "Something on your mind, son?"

"Oh, nothin' much," he said. "I just..." He sighed.

"What?"

"Well, you know that guy in my class?" Charles said. "Ivo?"

"No, not really," Mr. Hedgehog said.

"Well, he's this human who's kind of...I don't know. He doesn't like people, but he's really smart."

"And?"

Charles sighed. "Well, he...he seems interested in technology, and he's smart, as I said...but no one really likes him...at all. Today, though, he showed me some of the things he was working on, and...Well, I was really impressed."

"Good, good," said Mr. Hedgehog. "So, it sounds like you've made a new friend."

Charles sighed. "I don't know. I don't think we're friends, exactly, but..."

Just then, Jules came downstairs. "All done!"

Mr. Hedgehog had a chuckle. "Oh, really?"

"Yup! There wasn't as much homework as I thought there was, and anyway, I'm a fast worker."

"Mm-hm," said Mr. Hedgehog. "Fast, huh?"

"Maybe a little too fast, hm?" Charles continued.

At first, Jules looked offended, but then he sighed. "OK, OK. You've got me. I'll look over it again."

"Guess I should probably do mine too, huh?" Charles said, turning to his dad, who nodded.

As the two boys departed, their father continued working on his project: a crystal ring.

* * *

After reading the history chapter again and looking over the answers to the questions, and doing several page on other subjects, Jules was ready to take a break from the academics and do some track team homework.

Well, OK. The track team didn't assign homework. Still, Jules liked to practice for it by running around in the backyard. He set down his book and scampered downstairs.

"'Bye, Dad. I'm going to play outside," Jules said as he continued running.

"Now, wait a second. What about that thing I was going to tell you?"

"Oh, that. ...Well, can you make it quick?"

"No."

"Oh, well, can't I go outside first? Just for a bit."

Mr. Hedgehog sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, sure."

"Thanks, Dad!" said Jules, racing out the back door. As he strolled outside, he spotted a golden, glittering ring up in midair.

Now, this was nothing unusual, of course. Ever since Abishai carved that very first ring and it had split into many more, there had been tons of the shimmering circlets hovering about Mobius. As a matter of fact, Jules and his family lived in Ring City, a town in Green Hill Zone. It was traditionally known as the site where Abishai carved the very first ring, and, not surprisingly, there was an abundance of rings in the area.

Jules gently pinched the ring in his fingers, plucked it out of the air and looked at it. Even though he got a bit annoyed at his father yammering on about the Hedjillian tribe, he had to admit he had a thing for rings. He grasped the ring firmly in his fist, and he immediately felt a surge of energy course gently yet powerfully through his body. As the energy left the ring, it collapsed into a cloud of glimmering dust which sparkled in the air.

Then, Jules began to run, snatching rings as he went. He often thought that, if he had enough rings, he could run forever. He felt the wind toss his hair about as he ran, ran, and ran some more. He felt his lungs heave and heard his own soft breathing. He felt exhausted as he felt his legs pump, and the wind dried his eyes, but he knew he could keep running...keep running...keep running...

"Whew!" Jules said, letting himself collapse on the soft, bright-green grass. He breathed in and out, trying to catch his breath, but tiredness won out. He needed a rest.

Jules dreamed that someday, if he gathered enough rings and practiced hard enough, he would be able to run faster than anyone. He wasn't sure this would ever be the case, though. After all, he wasn't even the fastest kid at his school.

But maybe someday, when he was an adult, he would set a new record or something great like that. But at the moment, he didn't feel up to more running. He felt like sleeping.

And that's what he did.

* * *

"Juuuules!" a familiar voice called.

"Mumph." Jules turned over in his sleep. Sure enough, it was his brother Charles.

Jules thought Charles was a nice brother - way nicer than his friends' older brothers. Most of the time, he thought of Charles as a pretty good friend. But being an older brother, he always thought that he was right, much to Jules' annoyance.

"Whaddya want?" Jules said. He was still a tad groggy.

"Don't you want to see what Dad has to show you?"

"Yeah, sure." Jules got to his feet. He was no longer tired. His nap had done him good, and with a few more rings he felt like he could run a lot longer. But he was curious about what his dad was going to show him, so he went inside.

"Ah, yes, Jules. The time has come," Mr. Hedgehog said.

Jules' ear twitched. "For what?"

"For you to learn the family trade," Mr. Hedgehog said.

"_Oh_," Jules groaned.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to learn to be a ringsmith? It's a very honorable trade," Mr. Hedgehog said.

"Yeah, it just doesn't look very...well, fun," Jules admitted.

"Ah. Well, I find it very enjoyable myself," Mr. Hedgehog said. "And if you don't, then just remember that life is not all entertainment."

"Okay, okay, sure," Jules said. "Show me how to do it."

"Good boy," Mr. Hedgehog said. He downstairs into his workshop and gestured for Jules to follow.

His father's workshop was pretty cool, filled with all sorts of tools and ringsmithing projects. The young hedgehog sat down next to his father.

"Well, first things first," Jules' father said, "what is the purpose of ringsmithing?"

"To make money?" Jules guessed.

His father laughed. "Well, yes, but why do we need to make new rings? Won't they multiply infinitely, by themselves?"

"Well, yeah, mostly, but you kind of need to add a bit of energy in order to keep it going, or else the rings will start multiplying into weaker versions or something like that," Jules said. "Or at least, that's what Charles said." Charles was already an up-and-coming ringsmith.

"Yes, pretty much," Mr. Hedgehog said with a nod. "But about the process of making rings...that is what I will discuss." He picked up a colorless crystal. "We start with a chunk of Weezilite - that's the name of the energy-absorbent material out of which rings are composed, named after its discoverer. And who would that be?"

"Aw, Dad, you know I know that one. Professor Weezmillion," Jules said.

"_Weezillian,_" Mr. Hedgehog corrected, making Jules look a bit annoyed. "But, yes. Now, as you can imagine, we are going to craft a ring out of this Weezilite."

"OK, can I use your chainsaw?" Jules said.

"Ha ha. This is a very delicate procedure," Mr. Hedgehog said, not seeming very amused. "Hand me the chisel and _watch carefully._" Mr. Hedgehog took his job very seriously. Jules watched his father pound away at the chunk, bit by bit, piece by piece. Jules couldn't help but yawn.

"Now, Jules. Are you watching?" Mr. Hedgehog said.

"Yeah, but what am I supposed to see?" Jules asked.

"Everything," Mr. Hedgehog said. "And I'm almost done, so don't act so put-upon."

Sure enough, Mr. Hedgehog finished the ring very shortly after that. Mr. Hedgehog held the ring high. It was kind of pretty, the way it glimmered, but it was not energized yet and was clear crystal.

"Now, to energize it," Mr. Hedgehog said. He took a box off a shelf and opened it, revealing it was filled with powerful golden rings. Mr. Hedgehog took his new ring and dunked it into the box. All of the rings, including the new one, shimmered and sparked with electrified power.

"Now that's cool!" Jules said with approval, looking close at the rings.

Finally, Mr. Hedgehog lifted his new ring up. It was indistinguishable from the other rings now, shimmering with golden light. "Stand back, Jules," Mr. Hedgehog said. He held it higher, and suddenly more rings burst forth from it.

"Wow," Jules said. The rings were pouring like a golden waterfall. "When will it stop?"

"I should think...about...now." The flow of rings stopped as if on command.

"That's cool," Jules said. "Mind if I snatch a few rings? I could use a little energy burst."

"Go ahead, but not too many, young grasshopper," Mr. Hedgehog said with a laugh.

Jules carefully picked a whole bunch of rings, and then tensed his muscles. He felt the energy of all the rings he had grabbed flow into his body in unison. It felt so wonderful, that Jules just wanted to run - but not in his father's workshop, of course.

"Say, what do you do with all the rest of the rings?" Jules inquired.

"Multiple things," Mr. Hedgehog said. "Some will simply be scattered outside so as to fuel ring production there. Others will be used for experiments or energy sources - that's part of the way you make money, see. Some may even be specially treated and sold to the royal family, as part of a ringsmiths' tradition."

"Yeah, pretty neat," Jules said. "I knew some of that stuff from watching you, Dad, but I didn't really understand it until now. It seems like a nice job."

"So, what do you think, Jules?" Mr. Hedgehog asked his son. "Would you like to be a ringsmith?"

Just then, Jules frowned. Then he looked like he was thinking hard. "Well...maybe."

"Maybe?"

Jules sighed. "Well...it seems like a cool thing to do, but...maybe it's not for me. I like to run and jump and all that stuff. This would probably have a lot of sitting down, huh?"

"Yes, a fair amount," Mr. Hedgehog said. "But our family has been known for having many ringsmiths. It's a valuable tradition. What else would you be?"

Jules looked straight at his father and smirked. "A soldier."

Mr. Hedgehog jumped. "A-a-a soldier?" he sputtered. "What kind of a joke is this, Jules?"

"It's not a joke," Jules insisted. "I really want to be one!"

"Oh, where did you ever get such a strange idea, Jules?" Mr. Hedgehog said.

Jules shuffled his feet a bit. "Well, you know at school...my friend, Jerry? His Dad is a great soldier. Jerry keeps talking about what a great shooter he is!"

"So, now you want to learn to shoot," Mr. Hedgehog said disapprovingly. "I really don't think that's the job for you, Jules. Let the soldiers do their job, but you should be a ringsmith."

"But _Dad!_" yelled Jules. He immediately looked ashamed when he saw his father's face.

"Jules, my father stopped ringsmithing to be a soldier in the Great Civil War, and when he was killed it tormented me. If someday you became a soldier and were killed, it would be unbearable." Mr. Hedgehog put his face very close to Jules'. "For my sake, son, I request that you don't become a soldier as long as I'm alive. Once I'm dead, I couldn't stop you from doing it, but I'd like you to think through it carefully before you make a decision. Understand?" He looked closely into his son's eyes.

Jules was silent for a moment. "OK, Dad. I...I will."

"Good boy." Mr. Hedgehog smiled, clapped his son on the shoulder, and walked out of the room.

Jules looked around the workshop, and finally picked up a ring. He let it get absorbed into his hand. Maybe he would become a soldier someday, but for now he would be a ringsmith. For his father's sake.


	3. Chapter 2: Living Dreams

**Chapter 2**

"I don't care for them, thank you."

It had been a few years since Charles and Ivo had first crossed paths, and in that time they had gotten to know each other somewhat. Ivo, being shunned by almost everyone, was still somewhat unfriendly towards Charles, but their shared interest in technology and the sciences was bringing them closer together. Nowadays, Charles would often drop by a lab Ivo had set up and talk science. They would sometimes share ideas or projects. Today, Charles had decided to share something else: his delicious, homemade chilli dogs.

"Are you _sure?_" Charles asked, stunned by Ivo's refusal. "They're the best dogs in town!"

"Well, I don't like any of the chilli dogs in town," Ivo grumbled. "Now, what brings you here?"

Charles shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't had much to do for a while, and my mind is getting kind of restless, so I decided to stop by." He took a big bite out of one of the chilli dogs.

"Well, there's nothing much to see," Ivo said. "Haven't started any real projects recently."

"Have any ideas? I could help you develop them - well, if you want me to," Charles asked. He was aware of Ivo's somewhat secluded attitude.

"Well, since you mention it, yes," Ivo admitted. He paused and looked thoughtful. "I was trying to think of a way to extend life expectancy."

"Oh? Is there...any particular reason it crossed your mind?" Charles said.

Ivo sighed. "Well, I just found out that a distant relative of mine, Tam, died."

"Oh, really? I...I'm so sorry, I had no idea!"

"No, spare me," Ivo said. "Many of my relatives knew him, but I myself didn't. Yet, it sort of...bothers me, deeply. It's not so much that I'll miss him...it was, well, revealing."

"Revealing?" Charles asked, not seeming to understand.

"Just about civilization in general," Ivo said. "Tam died of cancer, a disease which has plagued the world for a very long time. It got me thinking about diseases, and about the weaknesses of the mortal body. I mean, Tam had everything going for him. He took care of himself fine and he seemed healthy, but he died, just like that. It seems like we're always so frail!" He sighed. "Do you see what I'm getting at, Charles?"

"Hmm, I think I do," Charles said. "You're saying that life as we know it is too weak to cope with the world's pathogens."

"Exactly," Ivo said. "If we somehow utilized technology, the rings and maybe the Chaos Emeralds together, I'm sure that with all that power there would be a way to advance to a higher level where we wouldn't die so easily - don't you think?"

"Well...I suppose you must be right," Charles said. "There must be a way. Maybe someday it'll be found."

Ivo sighed. "Well, I hope 'someday' would hurry up. Don't you think there's something _we _could do, Charles?"

Charles wasn't exactly sure why, but those words penetrated his core. "Yes, Ivo. I...I believe you're right."

* * *

High school for Jules was not very eventful. He was somewhat popular because of how athletic he was, but he managed to stay out of trouble for the most part - which made him a little less popular, of course. Many people in his class were dating, but Jules wasn't. Romance would cross his mind sometimes, but he never actually found a girl he wanted to date, so he stayed out of it all.

But today as he was in the bus, he had a feeling that was going to change. He caught a glimpse of a hedgehog he had never seen before - a new girl in class, he thought. She had neat, pink fur with a slight purple twinge, and short, dainty spines. She had a few wisps of hair on her forehead which looked very silky. The thing which Jules looked at most, though, was her beautiful green eyes. Jules had never liked a pair of eyes so much, and he simply couldn't help but look into them. When the hedgehog noticed this, she simply gave a sweet smile and sat down next to another girl.

Jules wouldn't say it was quite love at first sight. Of course, this was simply self-denial. The truth was, Jules was in love - _really _in love, for the first time in his life. He couldn't stop thinking about that hedgehog, and he thought it might drive him mad - which, of course, is a normal side-effect of love.

When Jules went into his classroom, the object of his affection stood in front of the class.

"Class," the teacher said, "we have a new student today. Why don't you introduce yourself, miss?"

The hedgehog looked out to the expectant class with a little smile. "My full name is Bernadette Tina Martin, but everyone calls me Bernie."

Jules couldn't stop looking at Bernie, and wanted to look her in the eye, but she wasn't looking at him. Instead, she was taking a glance around the classroom. It seemed to Jules that Bernie had the miraculous ability to look at each person in the classroom for the exact same amount of time. Jules wanted to catch her eye, but he seemed to have failed.

Still, Jules thought that Bernie had noticed him, at least a bit. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Bernie loved him back!

Bernie took her seat with the girl she had sat by on the bus. All during class, Jules couldn't stop thinking of Bernie and snatching glances at her. His mind was filled with thoughts of love, dating and marriage. The part of his mind which still had some sense tried to clear away these idle notions, but they were hard to eliminate. Jules loved everything about Bernie. She was very smart, but not nerdy. She was pretty and fine and modest, but not a do-gooder. She seemed to be the perfect blend of everything.

Finally, it was time for lunch. Jules wanted to sit by Bernie, but this was not customary in the school, so instead he sat with his usual brood while Bernie chatted away with some girls. Jules was listening in on what she had to say intently.

"So, like, what brings you to this school?" gushed a cheerful cat muching on potato chips.

Bernie tossed her spikes around. "Aw, Mother moved so we'd be closer to my grandparents."

"Cool!" a gray fox said. "Whe're you from?"

Bernie's eyes glimmered. "Star Light Zone."

"Ooh! Bright lights, big city!" the cat sang.

"Oh, it's not that big," Bernie insisted. "But it does look really beautiful at night."

"I've never been there! Tell us more!" the gray fox chanted.

"Hey, Jules! Whassup?"

Jules was snapped back to reality by his friend, a dog named Jerry. "Oh, uhh...nothin' much!" he said, trying (and failing) to act casual.

Jerry gave Jules a look which clearly said, "Oh, you're smitten with that new girl, aren't you?"

Jules' face burned as he glared at his companion, clearly replying "Of course!"

Thankfully, though, the others at Jules' table were too busy drinking pop and having burping contests to notice this pleasant exchange between friends.

The day went on normally, but no matter what Jules couldn't stop thinking of Bernie. Then came the last class of the day, History class, where they were studying the attack of Aristocritese Acorn on Ursabigigina, the capital city of Emor, in order to capture that city's Chaos Emerald. Once they had that emerald, they thought, other nations wouldn't dare oppose the Acorn Kingdom's might, leading to a period of uneasy peace until the emergence of the Chaos-Emor Empire. For Jules, all this talk basically went into one ear and out the other. This was not the case for Bernie, however. She looked eagerly at the teacher and kept raising her hand to ask questions. Jules wondered if he should be doing that as well, and thought that maybe Bernie would pay more attention to him if he did, but Jules couldn't make himself be interested. It was near the end of the day and he was practically falling asleep.

After the teacher was done lecturing, she announced, "_Alllllllll _right! We're going to have a test on the last 3 chapters tomorrow, so when you go home I expect you to study. As for now, we're going to have a _class discussion _on our most recent chapter. More importantly, I want to answer the question: 'Should Aristocritese Acorn have attacked Ursabigigina?' It's a hot topic among historians today, so I think it's a good idea to have a little discussion about it, and maybe even a debate."

_Oh, no! _Jules thought. _I hate class discussions. Please, no debate!_

But the deed had been done. "Let's split up into small groups, kids!"

Jules found himself in a group with two people he didn't really know well. As it turned out, none of them cared much about history, so they would often go off-topic and talk about totally unrelated things. However, the teacher was watching them, so they decided to try to talk about history. But, since they didn't know much about it, they kept straying away from the topic and talking about potato chip flavors and other such things.

A little while later, the teacher announced, "Alright. I can tell we've had some very productive discussions on this issue -" she gave a nod towards Bernie and her group - "and I think it's time to share some of our views with the class, shall we? How about this lovely group right here?" Once again, she looked at the group where Bernie was located.

"Sure!" Bernie said cheerfully. "Mind if I give a little presentation?"

"Go ahead," the teacher said.

"Alright." Bernie walked to the front of the class. "I would like to tell you why I think Aristocritese's attack on Ursabigigina was folly. For one thing, it wasn't exactly kind; in fact, it was rather cruel. Emor had never attacked or wronged the Acorn Kingdom; it was only out of greed for the Chaos Emerald. One could argue that it was a matter of survival, saying that Emor's ownership of the Chaos Emerald rendered them a possible enemy and they could develop powerful weapons with the Chaos Emerald's energy - but the truth is, from what I see, there's no evidence to indicate they were attempting to craft such things. The bigger issue, though, is that attacking Ursabigigina formed in Emor great spite for the Acorn Kingdom, which would eventually lead to their own creation of the Chaos-Emor Empire, which actually did intend on making weaponry with chaos energy and using it to overthrow the Acorn Kingdom and take over. In other words, this attack turned a neutral party into a huge enemy which nearly wiped out the kingdom, and I think it's sad that such a thing happened."

During this whole thing, Jules was gazing intently on Bernie. His mouth gaped open. He simply couldn't imagine someone being so smart about history. It sounded like something that had been planned for months; Jules couldn't believe she had thought of it so quickly, all while he had been talking about which flavors of potato chips were the best. He felt a pang of guilt for not concentrating on history, but the pang grew big-time in what followed.

"Wonderful, Bernie, wonderful," the teacher said. "I hope other groups have been having productive discussions as well! Would anyone else like to come up and tell the class about some things you've learned? ...Anyone? No one? Well, alright, I suppose I'll have to pick someone." She looked straight at Jules' group, and said, "You three! Care to share what you've discussed?"

Jules was horrified. "Um, yeah, well, um...I guess, er, we could...do that."

"Good! Come on up."

A shaky Jules walked to the front of the classroom. _Oh, no. I'm doomed, and I'm doomed IN FRONT OF BERNIE._

"Alllright! So, what have you learned from your discussion?"

Jules gulped hard. "W-well, we thought that maybe it _was _a good idea...because...because...because they needed the Chaos Emerald to um, protect themselves, creating a period of peace for...a time. So, um, even if it was mean, its outcome was slightly beneficial...for a time. Oh, and, the Chaos-Emor Empire wasn't...I mean, it didn't...er, it created some nice things and...uhhh...architecture, sooo, on the whole, it did have a few benefits even though...it, um, wasn't a good idea." He gave a pitiful excuse for a smile while mentally kicking hismelf as hard as he could.

"Interesting perspective, Jules," the teacher said. "I suppose you have a bit of a point, that the Chaos-Emor Empire did have a few benefits, though it certainly wasn't beneficial to the Acorn Kingdom at the time. Still, I'm glad you came up here and...discussed a few things." She glanced around the classroom. "Well, we're running out of time, so does anyone else have something to add to our discussion?"

No one did.

"Alright, then. It's time to go. You are dismissed."

Kids rambled out of the classroom, but before Jules left, Bernie approached him.

"Thanks for sharing what you discussed," she said. "I don't believe we've met. What's you're name?"

Jules felt himself trembling. He tried to control himself as he squeaked out the words, "Uh...I'm...J-J-Jules." Noticing Bernie had extended her hand, Jules shakily grasped it.

Bernie shook it a few times. "Nice to meet you," she said, closing her eyes and smiling. "See ya." She walked out of the classroom, a smile still on her face.

Jules' legs felt like Jell-O. He was trembling all over as he left the classroom. But in his mind was pure, mad delight. He was sure he'd go crazy with love.

Meanwhile, as Bernie was skipping to the bus, she thought, _Aw, that's men for ya! _But she knew that there was more to Jules than meets the eye, and, secretly, she wouldn't mind spending a little time with the hedgehog.

* * *

Things pretty much continued on like that for a few days, though as time wore on Jules gradually got more comfortable around Bernie. Bernie also realized that Jules was a nice hedgehog, and he really did love Bernie as much as it seemed. So, when in a sudden streak of bravery, Jules summoned up every ounce of his courage and asked Bernie out to the movies, Bernie accepted the offer.

Jules was joyous at Bernie's acceptance, but at the same time worry plagued his mind. What if Bernie didn't like the movie? What if she got in trouble?

But it was fine with Bernie's parents, and Bernie chose the movie: a romance called _Blown with the Breeze. _Jules didn't care much for romance movies, but wanted Bernie to be happy and didn't argue a bit. Jules paid for it with his own allowance and also bought some snacks.

Both Jules and Bernie liked the movie for the first hour or so, but as it dragged on Bernie began to get rather tired, until finally she dozed off. At first she slept in her seat, but eventually her head flopped down, right into Jules' lap. Jules was careful not to wake her and munched popcorn until he too fell asleep.

A couple of hours later, Jules woke up. Soon, Bernie did too. She heard the main character, Crymson O'Mara, say something about "tomorrow", and then the movie ended. They walked out of the theatre and into the lobby.

"I had no idea it would be so long," Bernie muttered, still very tired. "I hope I don't miss my curfew."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't know either," said Jules. "Must've been at least 4 hours. I'm...I'm really sorry you didn't like it."

"Oh no, it's not that I disliked it," Bernie said. "Just the length." She yawned.

"Well, I hoped you liked it."

"I did. And I also liked napping." She smiled and winked at Jules, who sheepishly returned the favor.

After Jules drove Bernie back to her house, she said, "I appreciate you taking me out, really."

Jules blushed just a bit. "I really appreciate you coming."

"Want to come over for dinner at my house sometime?" Bernie asked.

"That would be great," Jules said.

"Alright, see ya later!" Bernie said, waving.

When she disappeared into her house. Jules leaned back in his chair and looked at the starry sky. "Whew. That Bernie...she's something else."


	4. Chapter 3: The Heart of Man

_(That took me long enough, huh? Hopefully, chapters will be a bit shorter from now on.)_

* * *

"Erk! Ouch!" Jules yelped.

"Oh, settle down, Jules," Charles scolded. "It's just a tuxedo!"

"It's also the tightest, itchiest thing I've ever worn," Jules complained.

"Oh, c'mon, Jules! Don't you want to look nice for your own wedding?" Charles said.

"I sure do," Jules said. "I just wish that 'nice' didn't have to be so uncomfortable." He finally managed to squeeze into the tux. "Ah! Finally!"

"Oh, I just know you and Bernie are going to be the happiest pair on Mobius," Charles said.

"Of course," Jules agreed. "I've loved her from the moment I set eyes on her, years ago, and I know she'll always love me too."

"All I have to say is that I'm very happy for you, bro'," Charles said, cuffing Jules on the shoulder.

"Aw, thanks," Jules said. He turned to look at his friend, Jerry. "Ready to be the Best Man?"

"I've always been the Best Man," Jerry replied with a wink.

"Heh, don't I know it," Jules said. "I'm going to check on Bernie." The blue hedgehog walked into the room where his fiancee was wearing a lacey white wedding dress.

"Ohh...do you think this is too excessive?" Bernie asked.

"No way! It's beautiful!" Jules said.

"I'm glad you think so," Bernie said. "I think it might be a size too small, but it's comfortable enough."

A little lavender hedgehog danced into the room and tossed flowers in the air. "I'm going to be the flower girl!" she sang.

"Oh, it's a very important job, Kalie! Sure you're ready for it?" Bernie said.

She nodded vigorously and tossed a few more flowers. Bernie giggled and looked lovingly at her future husband.

Charles rushed in the room. "Hate to interrupt, but we have to finalize the guest lists."

"Alright," Jules said, following his brother into another room. Charles flipped through the list, saying the names and asking if Jules approved. He did, all the way until they came across the name "Ivo".

"Oh, well...I wasn't planning on inviting him," Jules said.

Charles was startled. "What? Why not?"

Jules sighed. "It's kinda hard to explain, but he's _your _friend, not mine. I've hardly met him, and we haven't gotten along when we have."

"But he's descent, and you two don't dislike each other that much. I'm sure he'd be honored and willing!" Charles insisted.

"Eh, he's not my type," Jules said casually.

"Well, if that's the case, Abdulkareem Martin probably wouldn't be your type either," Charles growled.

"Yeah, well, he's Bernie's uncle," Jules said.

"Yeah, well, Ivo is my _friend,_" Charles replied.

Jules sighed. "Look, I don't want this to seperate us, but...oh, well, I guess that he might as well come, if it would make you happy."

"Thank you, Jules," Charles said. "And I'm sure it would make him happy, too."

"Alright," Jules said, strolling out of the room. "And where's my ring bearer?"

"Right here!" A little brown hedgie bounded up.

"Hi, Ethan," Jules replied. "How's it going?"

"Great!" he said. "I'll be the best ring bearer on Mobius!"

"I'm sure you will," Bernie said, strolling in. She and Jules sat down next to each other.

"You think we'll have everything prepared in time?" Jules asked.

"I'm not sure, really," Bernie admitted, "but I think we'll probably be fine."

"Oh, we'll be more than fine, sweetheart," Jules said. "Trust me."

* * *

The wedding day came in the wink of the eye, and it was indeed a simply glorious day. It wasn't just because the decorations were pretty, or the snacks were scrumptious, or the guests were pretty - it was something much more.

It was that Jules and Bernie were united with the binding ties of marriage, and they were now one flesh - bound to be together, forever. Jules couldn't imagine anything so happy.

After the ceremony, there were, of course, festivities and fun, pleasent conversation, and the consumption of little triangle-shaped sandwiches. Oh, and the wedding cake. Ah, yes, the wedding cake was the icing on the cake, if you will. All of the guests were happy and excited - well, most of them.

Ivo, for instance, was not particularily happy and not particularily excited. In fact, he felt a strange unrest.

Ivo and Jules did not know each other very well, and what they did know of each other they didn't find very pleasent. But it was more than that. Ivo knew there was something he had forgotten about for a long time. It was the day when he had discussed with Charles a way to prevent living things from being so delicate, a way to help them live longer. However, Charles and Ivo got busy with their own things and stopped spending much time together, and it had fell to the back of their minds. But now it was resurfacing, and it stirred a strange passion deep within Ivo. He wanted to remind Charles about it, but he felt it wouldn't be appropriate at the wedding.

Speaking of which, Ivo didn't feel that he himself was appropriate at this wedding. Charles was the only one around he remotely knew, and even Charles was busy talking to other people. He acted different from everyone else, talked different from everyone else, and looked different from everyone else. He wished he wasn't so different.

Just then, something popped into Ivo's mind, a conversation he had with his dad a very long time ago. Ivo was complaining about that very same thing he was complaining about now. Everybody teased him, and he could never fit in. He was different back then, just as he was different now. And he remembered what his father had said: "It's the people who are different who become great."

_Great. _He hadn't taken what his father said seriously back then, but...what if it was true? What if _he, _himself, was going to really, honestly be _great? Greater, _perhaps, than those before him? Than _anyone _before him, maybe? What if _he _could be _that? _What if he _was _that?

No. There was no "maybe". He was great, he would be great, and he would seize his potential no matter what it took. This was _him. _It had to be.

His head burned and he grinned madly. He would rise above. He would become great. He would do his duty. _He would fulfill his destiny._

_

* * *

_

After chatting with various people, Jules and Bernie met back up.

"Oh, Bernie, I'm so happy," Jules said, half-laughing. "Want to have our honeymoon soon?"

"Oh, I would love that," Bernie said. "Where would you like to go?"

"Oh, I don't-" Jules twitched and looked off.

"What?" Bernie asked, perplexed.

"...Dad? Are you OK?" Jules asked, approaching his father, who was standing nearby. "You seem a bit shaky."

"Oh, um, don't worry about me," Maurice said. "I...I just have to sit down." He half-fell into a chair.

"Dad, your...legs. Are you sure you're OK? You look a little..." Jules trailed off.

"Wobbly," Maurice finished. "I don't feel well, Jules. I..."

Jules didn't have to be told twice. "Bernie, we have to go."

"Where? The doctor's?"

"Bingo." Jules looked at his dad. "Do you think you'll be well enough to come to the car, or should we carry you?"

Maurice grunted and tried to get up, but his legs twitched akwardly and then failed, causing the hedgehog to fall to the ground.

"Dad!" Jules yelled, grabbing his father and heaving him up.

"Oh, it hurts," Maurice groaned. "I'm in pain, I'm in pain.

Charles ran over. "What's the matter? What's the commotion?"

"Dad isn't well," Jules said, urgency in his voice. "We need to get him to the emergency room _now._"

* * *

Jules, Bernie and Charles looked on at Maurice laying down on the hospital bed.

"Do you have the diagnosis yet?" Charles said glumly.

The doctor solemnly nodded. "Yes, and we're afraid it's...WHS."

"No!" Charles exclaimed. "It can't be!"

"But...but...that's the disease that killed our mother! It...it...couldn't -!" Jules sputtered angrily.

"Arrgh...Jules, don't be afraid. I...I..." Maurice gasped for breath. "Ow, ow, it hurts. I can't move."

"Hang in there," Bernie said sadly. She looked at the doctor. "What will...happen to him?"

The doctor heaved a heavy sigh. "WHS is eventually fatal, but with the proper care he could probably live for up to two more years."

"Two years!" Charles sat down in a chair, overcome by grief. "Oh, no, the Heavenly King help me! It can't be so!"

"Ow, ow, ow," Maurice said, closing his eyes. Tears streamed down his cheeks. There was no help for it. He was going to die the same way his wife had. He hated to see his family so sad over him.

"Oh, Bernie..." Jules couldn't help but cry. Bernie hugged her husband's arm, and feeling the pain in his heart made her ache.

"He may be able to live at home, but someone will need to take care of him," the doctor said.

Charles sighed. "I'll do it. I don't have a wife to care for."

"Alright. We'll have to discuss the proper caring methods with you, if you are going to be his guardian."

"Yeah, alright, sure. How about now?" Charles said. He was so devastated deep inside that he started to feel somewhat numb.

"I suppose so." The doctor glanced toward the newly-wed Bernie and Jules. "You probably don't need to hear this."

"OK," Jules said softly. "Should me and Bernie leave?"

"Yes, you may."

"Alright. I-I'll visit you as often as I can, Dad. I'm-I'm s-so sorry."

"It's not your fault. I-I love you."

"Yeah, me too. 'Bye," Jules said, running off quickly, hoping in vain that he could run away from his problems, only to slump down in a chair in the waiting room. "Oh, Bernie!" Jules wept. "It's too hard!"

It was painful for Bernie to see her husband cry. Part of her wanted him to stop crying, but she knew that sometimes you just have to cry. Instead, she just sat down and cried along with him.

* * *

The next few months were very, very hard for all parties concerned. Jules and Bernie had trouble focusing on their jobs and caring for each other. They had difficulty concentrating on anything but the impending death of Jules' father. It took all their strength to take their attention off it and try to proceed through their life. They would visit Maurice sometimes; sometimes this only made the problem worse, but sometimes it helped when it looked like he was doing well.

As for Charles, he too was going through immense difficulty, but not in quite the same way. Though he was indeed very sad, he was not only sad, but mad as well. Not simply mad, but enraged. And he didn't exactly know what he was enraged at or why, and this only made him more angry, and this made him more sad. It was a perfect cycle of despair, and it was torment for Charles as he went about trying to properly care for his ailing father. He felt hopeless, completely without ambition, until one day when he finally realized what he was so mad about.

It was at nighttime, when Charles was helping his father into bed. The WHS was taking a mighty hold on the sickly hedgehog, and he was so terribly paralyzed that only his face could move, and even that with difficulty. Charles had to drag him every step of the way before finally placing his stiff body into bed, and then he had to fluff up the pillow and place it under his head, and take the blanket and tuck him in.

After this was done, Maurice began to groan. "Ohh, Ch-Ch-Charles...I...my body feels so frail on...on every lev-level."

Charles' heart thumped loudly. He felt a strange sensation. He had heard that phrase somewhere before, said by someone else.

Maurice coughed. "My body is helpless, b-but...my spirit..."

Charles felt his body turn ice cold.

"M-my spirit...I-I'm going to leave right now..."

"No! _N-no!" _Charles said, but he could say no more after that. His voice was choked out with emotion welling up inside him.

Maurice's voice was no more than a thin, raspy wisp. "Goodbye...goodbye...I am going to see what Heaven looks like..."

Charles grasped his father's hand despearately, unable to say anything. But it was too late. He was gone.

At first, the overwhelming flood of sadness came, consuming Charles' whole body. Why? Why? Why? _Why?_

But the rain stopped out of sudden realization.

What his father had said..._frail on every level_...that was what people's bodies were. That described them. _Perfectly._

A burning fire blazed in Charles' heart, mind, soul, being. A burning, all-consuming ambition.

He _would _find the way to cure mankid from weakness. He would find a way to make them into something which could resisit the forces of nature. He would find a way to make them into something _perfect._ And he didn't care what it took. This is what he would do. This was his very _purpose._

First, he informed Bernie and Jules and all other concerned parties that Maurice had died. And he also told them that he wouldn't be planning a funeral, and that if there was a funeral, he wouldn't attend it.

"But, but _why?_" Jules asked, sobbing. "Ch-Charles, you loved him as much as I did. I kn-know we can't bring him back, but, but...please honor him with me. Why won't you? Please!"

"_No," _Charles said firmly. "I have a more important duty to fulfill, and if I do there will never be any funerals ever again."

"But...Charles, you are my brother and friend!" Jules begged. "In the name of _reason-!_"

"Reason?" Charles spat. "Reason had its _day, _brother!" And he stomped off without looking back.


	5. Chapter 4: New Chaos is Rising

_Ding-dong._

"Who's there?" Ivo asked, opening the door to his appartment. "Ch-Charles! What a surprise!" But he noticed how cold and dark the hedgehog's face looked.

"Oh...I heard about your father," Ivo said lowly.

"Yes, my father has died," Charles said, no emotion in his voice. "But through that death, inside me something has risen to life. Something from a _long _time ago."

"Wait." Ivo felt hopeful. "This wouldn't happen to be that idea about life expectancy...would it?"

"Yes, that's _exactly _what it is. And I am finally going to act on it or die in the trying. Are you in?" He looked straight at Ivo.

"Yes, of course," Ivo said, and the tone of his voice indicated he really meant it.

"Good. Now let's decide what to do first, and then do it," Charles said.

"Well...first, I think we need to get our resources together. In order to upgrade society to the next level, we will need power. All the power we can get, properly trained for a very specific purpose. We must draw on all our own intelligence, all the intelligence of the world, and Mobius' vast energy resources to do such a thing. But we _will_ do it."

* * *

Bernie sipped a spoonful of brothy, rich vedgetable soup before glancing at her husband, who had not even touched his soup.

Bernie sighed. "Honey, are you still thinking about your..."

Bernie didn't have to finish the sentence. "Yes, Bernie, I am. It's...it's just so hard!" He wiped his eyes and looked to be trembling.

"Oh, Jules, honey," Bernie said, seeming to be deeply sad. "I know how hard it is, and I'm so, so sorry. But somehow, someway, we'll make it through. We'll...we'll be able to do it."

Jules rubbed his eyes, which were red and moist. "Oh, Bernie. I love you so much. What would I ever do without you?" Jules said, still half-sobbing. "Oh, Bernie...and...and...there's my brother, Charles." He sighed. "Not attending the funeral and...and all that crazy stuff. I...I want to trust him, but it seems so weird. I...I hope he's...he's all right. Something about Dad...d-dying...must've...must've..." Jules wiped his tears away.

Bernie sighed. "I just hope he doesn't hurt himself or anything." Just then, the doorbell rang. Jules ran to get it.

"Oh, um, Charles," Jules said after he opened the door. "Nice to see you."

"Well, nice to see you, too," Charles said, "but I have important business to tend to."

"Oh. Is this about your idea about no funerals ever again, or whatever you said?"

"Yes," Charles said.

"Look...sorry, bro, but I don't think...well, I don't think..."

"You don't think I'll succeed," Charles finished.

Jules sighed. "Well, yeah, I guess," he admitted.

Charles looked Jules in the eye. "Jules. I know you don't understand what I'm doing. To tell you the truth, I don't completely understand either. But I think it's my purpose in life, and I _will _succeed. I know it doesn't make sense, but I want you to _trust _me that I'm not being a nut. Can you do that for me, Jules?"

Jules looked thoughtful for a moment. Shuffling his feet, he finally said, "Well, I...well, I've known you for a long time, Charles, and...I-I think I do trust you. I don't neccessarily agree completely, but if you're that commited to it...well, then, it's useless to try to stop you and, well, I...I _guess_ I'd support you."

"Good," Charles said. "Because I have something big to request of you."

"You do?"

"Yes. I want you to find a Chaos Emerald."

Jules jumped. "What do you mean, 'find a Chaos Emerald'?"

"I mean exactly what I say."

"But...but where do I _look?_" Jules said, seeming completely bewildered.

"You know where." Charles smiled. "The Special Zone."

"The Special Zone?"

"Yes, the Special Zone," Charles said. "You know what it is. A zone filled with pure chaos energy, the supposed homeland of the Chaos Emeralds, and a place that the stones of mystic power are often attracted to and frequently make their residence in. The Special Zone is a critical part of Mobius, yet at the same time it is seperated from it in a strange way, that it can only be accessed by a few select methods - one of which is utilizing an enormous, powerful version of a ring that are found in various places on Mobius, including here on South Island. I want you to find one of these rings, go to the Special Zone, and retrieve for me a Chaos Emerald."

"But - but - but Charles! That's _ridiculous! _These things are rare, you know! And how could I find a big ring better than you?"

"Jules, you've always had a thing for the rings. You have absorbed many more of them than I have. I think that, if you collect some more rings, you might be able to achieve enough power to become sensitive to the energy of a giant ring and locate it."

"So...if I find one, what do I do? Jump in and grab a Chaos Emerald?"

"Basically," Charles. Seeing Jules' frustration, he added, "Look, look, I know I'm asking a lot, but I think this is a part of both our destinies!"

"Destinies?" Jules asked. "Huh. Sorry, bro, but I think you're going a little too far when you talk about 'destinies'!"

Charles sighed. "Look, Jules. OK, it does sound a little nuts. Maybe it's not the best thing to do. I don't know. But I think that if you do enter the Special Zone and do this for me, the result will be something amazing - I can feel it. I do not think you will regret doing this for me, but it think you might regret not doing it. Either way, it's your choice. Do what you think is best." Charles looked at Jules with utmost expectation.

Jules sighed, then turned around. Bernie was standing nearby. She sighed. "I think it's a bad idea in some ways, Jules, but...but if you want to do it for your brother...I have total confidence that you would be successful and safe." Bernie didn't really have total confidence. She was dreadfully worried about her husband. But at the same time felt that if he wanted to do this, she shouldn't try to stop him.

Jules sighed. He thought it was a bad idea, a silly idea. But at the same time he had a strange feeling that he was supposed to do this, that maybe, just maybe, it was a part of his "destiny". Either way, he felt that, even if it did seem nutty, even if it made no sense, he'd regret it if he didn't do it. He also had a lingering feeling in the back of his mind that anything that would keep his mind off of his father's death was probably a good thing. "Well, I, I...I guess I'll...I'll..." He sighed again. "I'll do it, Charles."

Charles smiled for what Jules thought was the first time since their father fell ill. "Good," he said. "I knew I could count on you, bro."

* * *

_OK, that took a little while. Yes, I tend to be inconsistent, but if you're patient, I think you'll like the next chapter. Excitement is in store for our heroes (or, that is, the parents of our hero)._


	6. Chapter 5: Higher Calling

Jules began the preparations to depart for the zone soon after. First, he did a little bit of studying, and found out that many of South Island's zones were known to contain the huge rings, though their energies were so mysterious it was not an exact science. However, there were reliable reports of big rings being found in Green Hill Zone, Marble Zone, Spring Yard Zone, Labyrinth Zone, and Star Light Zone. Being his homezone, Jules thought that Green Hill Zone was the best place to start. The next course of action, he thought, was to run around the zone, gather as many rings as he could, and stumble upon a big ring. So he bid farewell to his wife and was off.

It had been a long time since Jules had ran around while collecting rings, and he found it incredibly relaxing. Rings were abundant that day, and as Jules ran about he was reminded of the old days, when he was just a child, trying to become the fastest runner around. That dream had since faded, but now Jules was reminded of it, and it almost seemed to come to life again, for just a moment. Suddenly, Jules felt...relaxed. Happy. Strangely...excited. But at the same time, confused. There was...something unusual going on, he felt. But...what?

Jules' speed decreased as he glanced around him for a moment. Green Hill Zone was a beautiful zone, indeed. Very lush and green, and also mysterious, in a way. He knew that the Hedjillians had once lived on South Island, and in Green Hill Zone especially. He had never cared for history, but perhaps it was a little relevant to finding a big ring. He glanced at a large, ring-like structure standing in the zone. It was a bit like a big loop-de-loop that a roller coaster would go on. These interesting structures were common in places the Hedjillians inhabited in the past, but as far as anyone could see, they were purely ornamental - or used in a ceremony, maybe. Jules wondered if they had anything to do with the rings.

Jules shook his head to clear his thoughts. Enough pondering. He had a mission here.

Jules ran around the zone a little more, snatching a few more rings. Then he glanced around again, looking desperately for some kind of divine intervention to show him what to do next. He sighed. What was the point of it all?

He walked back to the loop-de-loop structure and leaned against it. His mind was full of strange feelings and inklings, but he couldn't make sense of any of it. He had absolutely no idea what to do next. He looked towards the sky, and said aloud, "OK, whoever's up there, I give up."

Just then, Jules got up. Something had just happened, he thought. He glanced around. He walked forward, when suddenly he bumped into something and fell to the ground. Jules got up and stepped back. His eyes widened and his mouth gaped.

A huge ring stood before him, glowing brilliantly, open wide as if inviting the hedgehog in.

Jules shook. This was crazy. No, it wasn't crazy. It was...it really _was _his destiny, to go into the Special Zone. It was...true. He couldn't believe it. But yet, he couldn't _not _believe it. It was right in front of him. Would he...would he try to deny it?

He took a deep breath and looked down. _Now. _Now was the time. Now was the time to see if he was willing to accept his destiny, or if he would be a coward.

He looked at the ring. He felt as if his spirit was on fire. He didn't know what was happening, but he would definitely, most assuredly, _not _be a coward.

Before he could stop himself, he charged forward and leaped head-first into the ring.

_SHOOOOOOOOOM._

For a second, Jules felt weird and light-headed, as if he was partially in the real world and partially submerged into a dream world, where nothing made sense. But then, that faded as Jules fully entered the Special Zone...the zone of dreams and of nightmares.

On every side, Jules was hard-pressed by a strange energy, an energy so powerful it could not be comprehended, but yet he was not crushed. As his body hurled through the zone, he felt, all at once, pain and turmoil and nonsense and despair...and at the same time joy and love and charity and grace. It was as if millions and millions of voices were calling out to Jules at once, saying all sorts of things too deep for him to ever dream of understanding. It was...it was too much! Jules clutched his head. How did this happen? He had never wanted this! He was a normal person, and he wanted to do normal things! This...this didn't make sense! He...he...he...he couldn't...

Jules' eyes were still closed, but now he dared to peep them open. He was bombarded by pure color, beautiful, brilliant and intense. Their gorgeous and fiery tones burned Jules' eyes, but yet he still looked onward, hoping to see _some_thing that could help him. He flailed about wildly, and his body rotated randomly as he was shoved through the incomprehensible nothingness of everything. Jules tried to calm his spinning head, and he attempted to think straight for just a moment. Just then, he brightened. A checkered sphere of warm red shades was nearby. Perhaps he could grab it and stop the endless cycle of...whatever was going on!

Desperately, Jules extended his arms and snagged his fingers on the surface of the orb. Just then, he felt himself spinning around and around, which was probably caused by some strange principle Jules really should've paid more attention to in physics. Eventually, however, the spinning stopped, and Jules' whole body was safely on top of the ball. He glenched his teeth, closed his eyes, and collapsed. _Too...much..._

_"Rise, Hedjillian of Mobius!"_

"WHA?" Though Jules ached with exhaustion, he sprang to his feet. He realized that, around the sphere, a crowd of strange, cat-like creatures, brightly colored like the zone they inhabited, and each seeming to release weird vibes, had gathered. One of them, a blue one, was on the sphere and was looking at Jules. When Jules noticed him, he jumped.

_"Do not be afraid, my friend_," the creature said, its voice friendly_. "You may know me as Azulmi-Cincona, chief of this sector of the Special Zone. I and my fellow Spherigats welcome you. Clearly, you have been called to our zone for a purpose."_

"I...I..." Jules quivered as he spoke. "I...I didn't want this, I'm...I'm no one special..."

_"Ah, such things are so vile and untrue. Everyone is special. Though it is true that things happen in everyone's life that they do not desire, all things have a purpose. And this thing which is happening to you right now is no exception, Hedjillian."_

Jules was still quivering, but he spoke. "Th...the reason I'm...h...here..."

_"Ah, yes, the purpose of what has happened. Oftentimes, such things are unclear, but in this situation it is evident, at least in part. And now, I think you know your task: the location of a Chaos Emerald."_

Jules nodded slowly.

_"Come, then. For you, I shall open up the heart of the sector, the Special Stage, in which one of the legendary Chaos Emeralds makes its residence." _Azulmi-Cincona gestured to the space around the sphere, then looked downward. Jules followed his gaze. Azulmi-Cincona twitched just slightly, and the area nearby twisted and changed in a strange way, until it seemed as if it was opening up.

Azulmi-Cincona look expectently at Jules. _"Well? Do you want the Chaos Emerald or not?"_

Jules was extremely nervous. "I...I suppose I d-do, but...but can you tell me what's in there? Wh-what...how can I find it when I go?"

_"Ah." _Azulmi-Cincona closed his eyes. _"That is part of the challenge, Hedjillian. The way in which the Special Stage is constructed is connected to the subtle changes in the Chaos Emeralds. But with the rings' energy within your body, I am confident you will be able to meet whatever challenge you find with grace."_

_I'm not confident, _Jules thought. He dipped his head and gripped it. _I can't do this. When it comes down to it, I really am a normal person. Not good for anything._

But then, a still, small voice. _Even normal people can be used for great things._

Jules sighed. It was hard to fathom, but he couldn't escape it. He was actually brought here by the Heavenly King above. And he was probably smarter than Jules was.

"Alright," Jules said. "I'm going in."

And with that, he dived.

Immediately, the old feelings of being overwhelmed came back. But they faded just as fast, and Jules looked around. He was in a strange blue space. And he was falling.

_BANGK! _Jules bounced onto and off of a floor of jewel-like blocks and strangely patterned orbs. He tried to land back on it, but it was rotating. He looked around. Above him, to the left of him, to the right of him, and below him was a grand maze of walls, all made of the same jewel-like blocks, and they were all spinning!

Jules desperately jumped around, trying to find solid ground, but it was no use. Everything was rotating, and he couldn't find a place to land. The more he bounced around, the more confused and dizzy he got. Oh, what was he looking for? What on Mobius was he looking for? A Chaos Emerald to jump out of nowhere?

Jules forgot all about his former dedication. He just wanted to _leave. _But he had no idea how, so he just kept bouncing around and hurting his head...again...and again...and again...

"Huh?" Jules looked around. He saw a strange sphere that was flickering madly like a red strobe light, as if saying "WARNING! WARNING!" He didn't like the looks of it, so he got away - which was not hard, considering that the whole stage was rotating. Instantly, however, he noticed one of the spheres on the wall he was about to land on, and as such he quickly leaped off the wall before he could touch it. As he zoomed through the air, his eyes gleamed. Rings! He quickly snatched a bunch, and then, noticing some more, he bounced off the wall and soon found himself going through what seemed to be a corridor. He snatched some more rings, and at the stage's next rotation, he fell out of the corridor and into a different area. Immediately, a wall of spheres appeared between this new area and the corridor, keeping him from going back.

Though he still felt rather dizzy, Jules' hope had returned, and he jumped around the new-found area. However, he was finding it difficult to stay steady, and he had several close calls with flashing spheres. He was tired, and wanted desperately to be home with Bernie, but he knew that he needed to complete his task. But as he looked around, he felt he was back at square one. He simply didn't know what to do.

_Wait a second..._ He glanced around, and saw a cube made of blocks which looked a little different than the others. Jules tried to bounce on the cube, but when he tried, he accidentally stuck one of his spines in one. He desperately wiggled it around, over and over again. As he jerked it around, the cube seemed to weaken, turning different colors as it did. Finally, the block shattered apart. Jules was surprised by how delicate it was. That had never happened before.

Wait...maybe that was the point...

Jules quickly did a standard hedgehog maneuver, curling up into a ball so all of his spines were sticking out. Then, he launched himself towards one of the cube's blocks. This time, he didn't get caught, but he still scratched the block badly, and sure enough, it changed color. He bounced more and more, until the block shattered to pieces.

Just then, Jules felt a strange sensation. If he could bust the blocks up enough to get _in _to the cube...maybe...

Jules fell back onto the wall he was on before. He gasped. He had just barely missed one of the flashing spheres. He twitched. There were several spheres - and more appearing, taking the place of blocks. He hastily bounced off, feeling very anxious. If he had really been led to the Special Zone by a higher power, by the King above...then he should be able to reach his objective. But perhaps he needed to rely on that power to succeed.

Filled with a new kind of determination, Jules bounced off the cube several more times. Soon, he shattered three more blocks. He breathed in deeply. He was ready.

He jumped through the hole that he had created and tumbled into the cube. Immediately, he lunged forward, and with both hands, he grasped something. Something that was both terrible and wonderful, and something that was certainly powerful.

_E-E-E-E-OOOM!_

Jules closed his eyes, surrounded by a blazing white light, feeling himself being pushed with extreme force. He managed to open his eyes, and he found himself looking into what a sea of blazing blue, perfectly contained inside of a crystalline structure.

Jules heard Azulmi-Cincona's voice. _"The Chaos Emerald...filled with that same power which was created in ages past to fuel the world. A power once used for good alone, but corrupted and distorted by evil. Now, within its structure, the forces of good and evil battle constantly, creating chaos. Fight on the side of good. Use the Chaos Emerald's immense powers only to build up, and not to destroy. For if you decide against this choice, you will have to suffer the consequences..."_

"Whuhh..." Jules clutched his head. He was in Green Hill Zone, and it was as if he had never left. He was groggy, as if he had waken up from a dream...or a nightmare. But yet in his hand, the blue Chaos Emerald remained. He gazed at it. It seemed to him that, within its structure, the powers of the Special Zone and all the things he had experienced while he was there were contained. And then, Azulmi-Cincona's voice came back to him...that haunting warning, that great challenge...

Jules stood up. His mission was not done. He needed to go back and give the Emerald to Charles. But...something seemed wrong...after all he'd went through, to just fork over the Emerald with no say in the matter...

He sighed. He had made a promise. He'd have to fulfill it. But maybe Charles would let him...

* * *

"Oh, Charles," Bernie said. "When will Jules ever come back?"

Charles sighed. "He hasn't been gone _that _long. I'm sure he'll be back." But in his mind Charles was feeling rather discouraged, perhaps even a bit worried.

Soon, however, all fears were put to rest when a certain blue hedgehog arrived, glistening emerald of mystery and might in hand.

Bernie gasped with excitement. "Oh, Jules! You actually did it! Oh, I should've _never _doubted you! I mean...of course I never doubted you in the first place...heh, heh." She smiled, weakly but sweetly.

"Oh, Bernie, I love you," Jules said, hugging his wife. Then he glanced toward Charles, seeming a tad serious. "...Charles?"

"Yes? Are...you are going to give it to me, aren't you?" Charles asked, seeming to have a bit of doubt in his mind. Now, it seemed rather silly of him to ask such a huge request of his brother, expecting Jules to get nothing in return.

"Well...yes, of course," Jules said, "but...would you mind if I kept it for just a bit? I have...a ringsmithing project I would like to try with it."

"A ringsmithing project?" Charles seemed a mite surprised. "Well, you be careful."

"I will," Jules said, inwardly feeling a bit strange that Charles was warning Jules to be careful, all the time while Charles was cooking up some strange invention with Ivo.

"Alright...I guess you can phone me when you want to give it to me," Charles said, seeming just a tad awkward. "Take care."

"You too," Jules said. "I won't be long." And at that, Charles departed.

After he left, Jules turned to face Bernie, who looked rather weirded out. "What's all this about a ringsmithing project? You never said a thing about this before."

"Yeah, I know. I got the idea while I was in the Special Zone."

"Oh, yes...speaking of which, how was it? What was it like? How did you get there?"

Jules half-laughed. "Oh, it's a _long _story." And he proceeded to tell it, as best he could - but it was one of those things that is very hard to articulate. Still, Bernie was awed by the time her husband was through.

"Amazing..." she breathed. "...Well, then, I suppose you really ought to get on with your project."

Jules nodded. "Yes, Bernie. I really ought."

* * *

_W__ell, that might have taken longer than you might have liked. But at least I was distracted by quality material - that is, Sonic Mega Collection Plus, a simply INCREDIBLE game (or several games, depending on how you look at it!). Yes, it seems I am incapable of making my chapters short, but at least it's done. Look forward to the next installment to be posted sometime before the turn of the century. At least, I hope._


	7. Chapter 6: Brilliant, Unknown Dawn

Jules pulled up a chair and sat down in his ringsmithing workshop, Chaos Emerald in one hand. He set it down on a table, then got out some Weezilite, a chisel, and all his normal ringsmithing tools, and put them on the table. With that, he began to carve a pair of rings.

What was his plan, you ask? Well, he wanted to use the Chaos Emerald's energy to create two specially charged rings, one for him and one for Bernie, so that they might be united together by Chaos. He thought it was a good and honorable thing to do to be united with one's spouse as much as possible, and do things he thought would be beneficial for both of them, so he thought it must be what he should do.

But after he carved the Weezilite chunks into two rings, he got stuck. What was the next step? Should he try making the Chaos energy go into it, or should he make the energy of the rings go into it first? Or should he do both at once? He thought about it for a while, but he simply didn't know. He didn't even have the faintest clue.

Now, already, Jules was frustrated. He may have been led to the Special Zone to get the Chaos Emerald, but now he didn't know what to do with it.

Jules sighed very heavily. Then, he picked up the unenergized rings and the Chaos Emerald and threw them into the box filled with energized rings. He stared at it. To his shock and dismay, the rings he had carved were not only failing to be charged with Chaos Emerald energy, they were failing to get charged at _all!_

The agonized Jules sat back. As a ringsmith, he learned a lot about the abstract energies of Chaos and Ring power. Though no one really understood the true nature of these fundamental cosmic forces, they were pretty confident about a few things, and one of them was that Chaos and Rings were both the perfect complements to one another and the perfect opposites of one another. Their opposing nature must've caused the problem, Jules realized. Surely something great would happen if he put them together...but how? How could he make this work?

Jules had lost faith, and was exhausted and annoyed. He brought his forehead to the desk and kept it there. When he was in the dreamy Special Zone and had found the Chaos Emerald, it seemed like everything would work out, but now, in the "real" world, everything seemed to be falling apart. Well, maybe that wasn't true...but either way, he didn't care, because he was tired and grumpy.

He just sat there for a while, until he heard someone come in.

"Jules? Are you alright?"

"Oh! B-Bernie?" Jules said, getting up.

Bernie took a few steps closer. "Jules, what's the matter? I thought you were working on a ringsmithing project!"

"Oh. I...was, but...I didn't know what to do."

"About what? What were you even working on in the first place?"

"Oh." Jules kind of wanted it to be a surprise, with him giving it in a romantic fashion to his spouse, but now that it didn't seem to be working, he didn't see why he should keep it secret. "I...was...working on making two rings...one for you and one for me...fueled by chaos energy, so we'd be bound together by the forces of the universe, but...I can't seem to get the rings and the Chaos Emerald to even interact!" He sighed and looked down.

"Oh, Jules." Bernie got close to her husband and looked him in the eye. "That's so sweet of you, but we don't need to be bound together by Chaos Emeralds and rings. We're bound together with something even greater."

Jules nodded slowly. "Yes, Bernie. You're right."

There was a pause.

"Should I deliver this to my brother now?" Jules asked.

"Yes, that would be a good idea," Bernie said.

"Alright. This very instant?"

"Well, I don't see why not."

Jules nodded. "OK. I'll be on my way."

And as he went off into his car, he had no idea that, despite the "failure" of his project, effects that he could not discern were at work...

* * *

As he got out of the car in front of Jules' house, Jules briefly wondered if maybe giving the Chaos Emerald to Charles was a bad idea, but he dismissed this thought quickly. He had made a promise, and he could trust his own brother.

Right?

* * *

_(I...I have done the impossible! I have written a SHORT chapter! HAHAHA! Maybe too short for some folks...ah, well, it seemed a good ending point, so what I am to care?_

_I hope you enjoyed and had a very merry Christmas!)_


	8. Chapter 7: The New Order is Disorder

The makeshift workshop set up in the apartment had a vast array of tools and resources - a ring smithing chisel, Weezilite, many powered rings, a Chaos Emerald, and a whole bunch of spare parts - not to mention a whole library's worth of books, as well as spare pages and magazines and many other things. And in the center were Charles and Ivo, looking very determined and also frustrated as they puzzled over items and threw out random ideas.

Finally, Charles said, "This is getting us nowhere. What we need is a real plan on what to do."

Ivo was silent for a while, then finally spoke. "You know, Charles...I've been thinking about...something."

Charles glanced over. "What?"

Ivo heaved a sigh, as characters in _Children of the Ring _tend to do. "It's...it's...it's just about...my grandfather."

Charles looked surprised. "Your...?"

"Yes, my grandfather. Professor Gerald Robotnik. He was...a very great scientist. And I believe that he, in many ways...strived to do the same things that we are doing, you know? And even with the same resources. Chaos...rings...technology. Yet...he, well...something happened. Some trouble with the governmental authorities thinking he was doing something wrong and needed to be shut down. And...that was the end of it."

Charles was still. "Oh...I'm sorry...but...but it seems like..." He paused and looked thoughtful. "Don't you think...there's some way we can draw upon his research...?"

Ivo glanced over. "Yes, Charles. I do."

"...Alright, then. Where do we start?"

"We start..." Ivo walked out of the room and came back with a very plain metal chest. "..._Here._"

"What is that?"

"It's just what it looks like, Charles. A large, locked chest. My grandfather gave it to my father, who gave it to me. And the funny thing is, no one seems to know what's in it."

"Yes...but, do you know _anything _about what might be in it? Surely people mentioned it..."

"They did. But only as a piece of furniture."

"...Well, then. What makes you think that it has anything important in it?"

"I have a hunch. It's just one of those things where something that seems unimportant, but it's actually critical. Trust me."

"Al... right," Charles conceded. "But it's locked. How do we open it?"

Ivo smiled. "That's what we're going to find out, isn't it?"

Charles just stared into blank space for a minute. Then he walked over to the chest. He looked it over, top to bottom, and was a bit shocked to find there was no visible lock mechanism. No key hole, no visible sensor...nothing, really. Charles tried to open it, but - predictably - he failed.

"Hmmm." Charles stood back and rubbed his forehead. He stared at the chest. "Hmmm," he said again. It was pretty obvious that he was a tired, clueless hedgehog. He glanced at Ivo. "What do you reccommend?"

Ivo looked thoughtful. After a few seconds, he grabbed a few rings and the Chaos Emerald, and walked toward the chest. "Chaos...rings...technology..." he said, staring at it. He then pressed the rings and the emerald to the surface of the chest. "All together...in harmony."

Compliantly, without scarcely a moment of hesitation, the chest opened relatively quietly. In awe, Charles slowly stepped up...and looked inside.

The first thing Charles saw was a piece of paper, covered in computer-written type. He moved to grab it, but Ivo got there first. He began to read, with Charles listening intently.

_To whoever is so strangely fortunate to find this..._

_Greetings._

_I am Professor Gerald Robotnik, a forefather to you who is reading this. You are reading this because no doubt you are like me. You want nothing more than to better the world through the marvels and magic of science. And no doubt you will accomplish this, for the blind force that guides all things past and present has manifested a more structured form in you, and seems to be urging you onward to this inevitable goal._

_I myself have tried this thing as well...the task charged to a special few to bring the world into the next level. It is hard to say in this early stage if I have succeeded, but I believe with firm confidence that, if nothing else, I have laid the framework for the new form of existance that another seemingly blessed individual must, according to all natural precepts, create. And you are the one to bring this about._

_In order to bring about this new world, we must bring together human science and the deep forces of nature. And if this happens, the world will never have to fear again...or, perhaps, as the other, less fortunate portion of my mind says..._

_It will have to fear all the more desperately._

_Good luck._

_You'll need it._

_Professor Gerald Robotnik_

* * *

_(Wow, Totally Sonic LIVES! Isn't that amazing? I'm sorry I'm so inconsistent about it...but look for another chapter relatively soon!)_


	9. Chapter 8: Challenge of the Metanite

Once Ivo had finished reading the paper, there was silence for a while.

"Alright then," Charles said, rubbing his hands together. "Well, I...guess we have work to do," he said, not sounding overly confident, but still willing to try.

Ivo nodded. "Yes. Indeed. Now let's see what else is in this chest." He leaned his fat body forward and reached into the chest with his lanky arms. He lifted out with his large hand a strange lump of shiny rock, similar to weezilite, but with a strange, almost metallic gloss. Suspended within it were strange, shimmery silver flecks. Next to it was a note. It read:

_Metanite_

_An extremely rare mineral with extremely odd properties. Very similar to weezilite, but seemingly subjected to volcanic activity and - possibly - strange reactions with the chaos force, which work together give it unique properties. When carved into a ring shape, ring energy can enter into it in much the same way as it does weezilite; however, unlike weezilite, it cannot self-replicate and, once the energy is contained within it, it is very hard to extract. In 2528, a Mercian chaosologist named Dr. Abimelech Dizordia attempted to compel ring energy trapped in a metanite ring (formed from metanite deposits excavated from the United Federation territory of West Side Island) to flow into his body through use of a simplistic Chaos Siphon and a chaos emerald, hoping the chaos energy flowing through the chaos emerald into the weezilite ring would somehow "unsettle" the "trapped" ring energy and allow it to flow freely into his body. His experiment succeeded in transferring the ring energy into his body, but its effects were not what were suspected; rather than simply having the energizing effect that ring energy from a weezilite ring would, it darastically mutated the cells of Dizordia's arm, almost completely altering their chemical structure. This changed his arm into a stiff, hard, almost metallic state. In this state it was immobile and utterly unresponsive. Surgery was done to amputate the damaged arm, but in the end, it was realized that radiation had poisoned Dizordia's body. He died soon after._

_After the disasterous experiment, the government of the United Federation - then headed by President Geoffery McDonald - was terrified by the results. There were fears that, were the results to become well-known, metanite rings might be used, together with chaos energy, as a deadly weapon against the United Federation. As a result, they did all they could to cover up the experiment. The metanite of West Side Island was harvested and hidden from public eyes, as was Dizordia's amputated arm. Soon, the government was in denial of all the information discovered about the metanite, as well as the presence of metanite on West Side Island. They did this not against Mercia, but with its blessing - Mercia was just as afraid of the resuls as the U.F. was._

_The coverup was extremely thorough, but not complete. The Transparency In Government Organization (TIGO) eventually leaked information about the incident, prompting me to do my own research. Sure enough, the incident was mentioned in many of TIGO's other reports, some of them from very reliable sources. Later, I managed to (by means I shall not address here) actually obtain a sampling of West Sidian metanite and the amputated arm of Dizordia. I have included them in this chest._

Charles looked up from the note. Ivo stared at him.

After staring blankly for a while, Charles said, "Well...that was interesting."

"Yes, but I'm afraid it's not of great relevance to our endeavors," Ivo said.

"Wait," said Charles. "There's something on the back of the note(crossout) small encyclopedia. It says:

_I have tried - albeit unsuccessfully - to somehow regulate the effects of "metanized" ring energy, so as to alter the structure of cells so as to make them more resistant to disease and decay. You see, although the entry of metanized ring power into cells destroys key components within them and prevents their proper function, it also makes them vastly more resilient; take the arm of Dizordia, which has not suffered significant decay even after over a decade and seems utterly immune to decomposers and internal decay-causing chemicals. In fact, it seems totally immune to disease and radiation; note the fact that, while the portion of Dizordia's body not chemically transformed by the radiation was destroyed by it, the arm that was fully chemical transformed remains intact..._

Charles trailed off. "Ivo...do you know what this means?"

"I believe I do," Ivo said. "My grandfather was trying to do the same thing we're doing!"

"Yes, I believe he was. Look in the chest!"

Ivo obliged. "My, my!" he said. "Look at all this! Hundreds of papers, complex machinery! He sure got far in this project!"

"Yes...but even after all this effort, he gave up. He couldn't do it," Charles said woefully. "We probably can't, either."

"No, I don't think you're quite right, Charles," Ivo said. "The reason he gave up his project was probably not because it was hopeless; he just was distracted by something else. That's why he put it in this chest - in the hopes someone else would finish it."

Charles looked at Ivo, not seeming fully convinced. "How do you figure?" he asked.

Ivo took a deep breath. "My grandfather - he worked with the United Federation on quite a few different projects...but perhaps since this project wasn't showing all that much progress, the U.F. didn't sponsor him on this one, so it kind of got tossed by the wayside, if you know what I mean."

"Until now," Charles added.

Ivo grinned. "Until now."

* * *

_(Wow, TOTALLEE SONIK LIVEZ!1!1! Sorry the chapter is so short, but at least it exists! As you may have noticed, I took a kinda long break...but I'm back and I plan on staying around for a while!)_


	10. Chapter 9: The Paths We Take

_The red rabbit fell upon the ground, sobbing. "Everything I've ever known is gone! Where can I go?" she lamented with overwhelming passion._

In between the movie character's sobs, Jules clutched Bernie tight. "I don't remember this part," Jules whispered to Bernie.

"SHHH! You were asleep!" Bernie replied.

_Just then, the memories flowed back..._

_Hill Top Farm..._

_Hill Top Farm..._

_Hill Top Farm..._

* * *

"Dear, you're falling asleep _again!_" Bernie said, nudging her husband awake.

"Huh...? Wha...?" Jules murmured groggily, rubbing his eyes.

Bernie rolled her eyes. "It just ended," she said.

"Oh, it did? Man..."

"You're hopeless," Bernie said, smiling and embracing Jules. The two leaned forward and kissed. Then they just stared at each other for a moment, the two true loves staring into each other's blissful eyes.

They were silent for a while, until Bernie patted her belly and said, "So! What do you want to name the baby?"

Jules was silent for a while, and then he said definitively, "Maurice."

Bernie wore a weird expression. "Maurice, eh?"

"Well, sure...why not?" Jules asked, seeming surprised.

"Well, y'see...it might be a girl," Bernie said, smiling.

Jules smiled. "Yeah, I guess it might. But if it's a boy, it's Maurice."

"If you insist," Bernie said.

"Why do I have to insist?" Jules said, sounding annoyed. "It's a nice name, don't you think?"

"Uhh...yeah," Bernie said, sounding like she didn't really mean it. "But don't you want something more..._creative?_"

"If you have a suggestion, I'm all ears," Jules grumbled.

"Well, I..." Bernie trailed off. Finally, she said, "OK, it's Maurice. For now."

Jules rolled his eyes and embraced his wife again.

* * *

Charles took a deep breath and stared at the glittering, fat ring of metanite. Spokes poked into the ring through its central hole, and these spokes let to a circle-shaped chaos siphon that held in its center the blue chaos emerald. Underneath and connected to the ring was an electronic device which contained many holes, and through each hole was a small clamp. The electronic device also contained many different levers on its side.

"Alright..." Charles rubbed his hands and sighed. "Time for the first beta test."

Ivo nodded. "Bring in the first guinea pig," Ivo said with a grin.

"It's a plant, but sure," Charles set with a smile. He brought in a small potted plant and set it down. Ivo took a deep breath and picked up the makeshift device, holding it over the small potted plant, and started tweaking the levers until each clamp was close to a leaf of the plant. He then pressed a few buttons, causing the clamps to extend forward and grasp the leaves. Charles took a deep breath.

"Ready?" said Ivo.

"I...guess..." Charles said, his voice seeming to waver with insecurity.

As if not noticing Charles' apparent hesitancy, Ivo said, "Ready...go!" and flipped a lever.

_VRRZZZZHAAP!_

Instantaneously, energy was transferred from the machine into the clamps and then into the plant. The plant flashed with a sudden, brilliant burst of power that was so incredible, Ivo nearly dropped the device. Almost instinctively, he flipped the switch off.

Charles sighed. "Burnt to a crisp," he said accurately, for the plant was, indeed, burnt to a crisp, and reduced to a blackened, shriveled mess.

"Yes, we'll need to readjust the chaos-to-ring power ratio as well as the tolerance level, I believe," Ivo said. "Well, let's get to it, ol' chap!"

Charles sighed.

"What's the matter, Charles? Have you lost enthusiasm for the project?" Ivo asked. "Heaven knows you've worked on it far more than I have! Do you need a break?"

"No, I guess not..." Charles muttered. "I just -"

"Good! Let's get on with it," Ivo said, barreling Charles over conversationally. "C'mon, let's alter these levels again."

Charles did so, but he did it unenthusiastically. Truth was, he was having doubts in his mind. At first, he was committed to the project fully and passionately, sure that it would provide a way to rid humanity from weakness - but now, he just wasn't sure that it was the right thing to do.

"Alright, then!" Ivo said. "I think these levels will yield considerably better results! Don't you, Charles?"

"...Sure..."

"Shall I do the honors, or you?" Ivo asked.

"...Whatever..."

"Alright then!" Ivo said. He did the same thing as he had done before...

_VRRZZZZHAAP!_

...and the plant glowed just as it had previously, but once the flash faded, the plant was still standing and resembled its former shape, aside from the fact that it seemed to be made of metal, and shone like silver.

"Ahhh...a sure improvement!" Ivo said, sounding quite pleased. "Look at it - almost completely preserved, in a metallicized state!" He fingered the plant. "It seems we have at least imitated the results of Dizordia's experiment...now, let us see if we have improved upon them, as we have been trying to do for quite some time now! Let us see whether or not it retains the functions of life."

"Mmm-hmm..." Charles said, sounding far off.

"What's wrong, Charles?" Ivo asked his friend, seeming shocked. "This could be a great development!"

"Yeah, I know..." Charles muttered.

"Really, Charles! Whatever is the matter with you?" Ivo asked.

Charles sighed. "I...well...it's just, I'm not sure whether or not this is really the right thing to do."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Ivo said, sounding slightly angry - perhaps more so than he meant. "You have control of your destiny, don't you? Don't you _want_ to do this?"

"Yeah, I...think so...I'm just not sure if it's right," Charles said, shrugging.

"What's not right about it?" Ivo sputtered. "You could save _innumerable_ lives through the project you are undertaking!"

"I know...it's just...I...I..." Charles paused. "Oh, I don't know," he sighed. "Maybe we're just messing with things that we have no business messing with."

Ivo sighed. "Oh, Charles! Where'd you get that idea?"

"Oh, I don't know!" Charles said, sounding exasperated. "I just...I guess I should forget about it," he said, not sounding all that sure.

"Please do," Ivo replied. "I can't do this project by myself."

There was silence for a moment. "Alright then," Charles finally said. "Then I will continue this project."

Ivo smiled. "Thank you. You've made the right choice."

Charles wanted to believe the words, but there was still some doubt within him. Doubt that he paid no more heed to...

Until it was too late.


	11. Chapter 10: Ring Miracle

Bernie could hardly believe it. She had never seen eyes as beautiful as Jules'...but these eyes came very, very close. Tears streamed down her face as her hands gently held the beautiful creature: a tiny blue hedgehog that resembled a little version of her husband, but with beautiful green eyes, smooth tan arms, and a tan spot on his belly. Bernie held her wailing baby close to her. She couldn't help herself; she laughed and cried at the same time.

Right beside her was her husband, who looked on, filled with love - love for his wife and his child that was simply overwhelming and crowded out every feeling of discontent. It was simply astounding.

The doctor - a tall, well-built, light-blue wallaby by the name of Dr. Kyleson - was not even looking at the sight of love and bliss before him. Rather, he was stooped down, staring intently at a screen. An illuminated light upon it zipped up and down like a heart rate monitor. "That's...odd," he finally said.

Bernie glanced over. "What's odd?" she asked, briefly wondering if something was wrong.

"This sensor detects any forms of chaos-related radiation. It seems that your baby is radiating something..."

Bernie gave Dr. Kyleson a very weird look. "What?" Then she looked back at her boy. "Have you been radiating lately? Tsk, tsk. What a naughty boy," she cooed softly, smiling broadly at her newborn baby.

Dr. Kyleson straightened up. "Well, ma'am, it certainly isn't anything serious...I don't think it is, anyway. It's just that, your son is giving off the same energy he would had he just absorbed the energy from a large quantity of rings."

"Well, that's strange," Bernie said. "Is it bad?"

"I don't think so..." Dr. Kyleson said. "I'm just not really sure why it's happening." He shrugged.

"That's alright," said Bernie. "Not all of life needs explanations."

Jules, however, was more interested. "Is this unusual, or does it happen often?"

"Oh, it's very unusual," Dr. Kyleson confirmed. "I mean, it's not all that weird if a baby radiates a small amount of ring energy; it's presumed to have just been transferred from the parents. But to radiate this much energy is certainly odd."

"Well, I do absorb rings regularly," Jules said.

"Do you handle chaos emeralds on a regular basis?" Dr. Kyleson asked with a small smirk.

"Oh...well...um...no, I don't suppose so," Jules said, thinking of the one time in his life that he did handle one, but not thinking it appropriate to mention anything of the incident.

"Well, I was just thinking that the reason he might be radiating all this energy was if, somehow, some raw chaos energy affected his body - if such a thing happened, it might have an amplification effect on whatever ring energy was transferred to him. But it's highly doubtful such a thing occurred," Dr. Kyleson explained.

"Mmm-hmm," Bernie said, obviously not caring as she held her newborn son. "What will we name him, Jules?" she asked, looking lovingly at her husband.

"Oh! Uhh, I thought we decided on Maurice," Jules said.

"Yeah, we decided on Maurice unless I thought of something better, dear," Bernie said, smiling.

"And what did you think of?" Jules said with a smile.

Bernie flashed a grin. "Sonic."

"Sonic?" Jules laughed. "What kind of a name is that?"

"It's the kind of name that belonged to my great-great-great-great-something grandfather, dear," Bernie said, still smiling.

"And who was he?" Jules asked.

"Why, Sonic, of course," Bernie said.

"I know that much," Jules laughed. "Who was he?"

"He was a warrior," Bernie said. "The brave warrior-leader of the Faithful Clan of the Margidites. Sonic the Bravehog, that was his name. Brought his people into a new land as promised by the King of the Heavens; that was him."

"And his name was...Sonic," Jules said with a weird smile.

"Really truly," said Bernie. "The perfect name for this little boy," she said.

"Uh-huh," said Jules. "I like Maurice."

"I like Sonic," said Bernie.

"And I like Maurice!" said Jules good-naturedly, getting down close to his wife and giving him a kiss.

"Hmm, OK...Sonic the first name, Maurice the middle name," Bernie said.

"How about the other way around?" Jules suggested.

"You can always call him Maurice," Bernie said.

"You can always call him Sonic," Jules said.

"A'em!" a voice said. The nurse, a green fox named Foxie, walked up. "Some'un gotta sign all t' stuff on t' birt' certificate!"

"Oh, the birth certificate! Of course," Jules said. He signed his name. "Now you sign it, Bernie." He handed the slip of paper to his soulmate. Bernie busily wrote.

"There! All done!" she said, handing it back to Jules.

"There. Now we can write the name- hey!" Jules said. He noticed, with dismay, that Bernie had taken the liberty of not only writing her own name, but also the baby's name - Sonic Maurice Hedgehog.

"You can always call him Maurice," Bernie said with a smile.

Jules sighed and smiled. "Of course," he said. Then he looked at his baby boy.

"Hey there, Sonic Maurice Hedgehog."

* * *

Sonic rolled around in his crib. Well, Sonic or Maurice. He wasn't quite sure.

He was 6 months old. Of course, he didn't know that.

All that he knew was that he was restless. He was full of energy and wanted to move, move, move!

He flipped over and crawled around the crib as fast as he could. He crawled around, and around, and around in laps around his crib.

He crawled, and he crawled, faster and faster, more and more. The energy within his body almost seemed to swell. He felt so happy, so excited!

He crawled and crawled and crawled and crawled and crawled. But soon, that wasn't enough. He needed to do something with the energy, the great energy within him. It seemed ready to burst right out of him!

It was such a seamless transition that Sonic hardly noticed it. But suddenly, he was going faster than he had ever gone before! He giggled and laughed and smiled. "Wheeee!"

Sonic hardly noticed as Mom walked into his bedroom. But then, he heard his name. "...Sonic?"

"Oop!" Sonic dropped down and snuggled up in his blankets, doing his best to look asleep.

Mom walked slowly to Sonic's crib and stared and her son. Her voice was slow and disbelieving. "Sonic...were you..._running?_"

Sonic didn't stir. He did his best to look asleep.

Mom shook her head. "Oh, I must be seeing things. There's...there's just simply no way. Six months...and running!" She walked out of the room.

A smile spread across Sonic's face as Mom left. He threw off his blanket, got up, and ran.

* * *

"Jules...I just can't believe it," Bernie said as she sat down next to her husband, who was watching TV.

"Can't believe what? The special effects?" Jules asked.

Bernie sighed. "I...I just walked into Sonic's room, and...and I could've sworn he was _running!_"

"Running?" Jules asked. He laughed. "Somehow, I don't think so, Bernz. Running at six months?"

"I couldn't believe it either!" Bernie said. "But...but I was just thinking about our boy...the 'radiation' the doctor was talking about when he was first born...his obsession with trying to get rings...crawling at three months..."

"Yup! That's my son alright," Jules said, smiling. "Maurice the Miracle."

"Or Maurice the Mutant," Bernie said, giggling.

"Alright. I'll have a check on our li'l blessing," Jules said, getting up. He walked toward Sonic's room, but on his way, he picked up a bag and plucked out of it a golden, shimmering ring.

"Oh, don't give him another ring, Jules!" Bernie said.

"Why not?" Jules asked.

"Oh...I don't want to _encourage _him!" Bernie said.

"Why not?" Jules asked.

"I...I don't know, I just...oh, do whatever you want," Bernie grumbled.

"Thanks, I will," said Jules, walking into Sonic's room. As soon as he set foot in the room, Sonic's eyes brightened. Jules smiled and waked closer.

"Giwiwat! Giwiwat!" Sonic gurgled, standing on his knees and staring at the ring.

"Ohh...you want a _ring_, don't you, Maurice?" Jules said with a smile.

"Giwiwat! Giwiwat!" Sonic said, reaching upward to touch the ring.

"Okay...if you're _really_ sure you want it..." Jules dropped the ring in the crib.

Like a little puppy lunging after a treat, the tiny blue hedgehog snatched up the ring. In a flash and a shimmer, the ring faded away. Sonic stood up straight. Then...he lunged forward and starting running, giggling as he did so.

"Whoa..." Jules stood awestruck. "You're...running."

Sonic just continued, giggling and running.

Jules just stared, silent. "...Wow..." he finally said, slowly. His boy was still running.

A prayer spontaneously rose to Jules' lips. "Heavenly King...is this what you wanted to happen? You wanted me to have this boy, didn't you? And that's why you worked things out the way you did..."

Jules smiled and looked on at Sonic.

"That's my boy. Maurice the Miracle."

* * *

**_THE END_**

* * *

_OK, yeah, I know the description originally said it would have the Great War and Robotnik's takeover...well, the ending just seemed perfect. So...I'm going to save the Great War and all that stuff for the next book. Hope it doesn't bother you. ;P_

_I'm planning on revising this story, by the way...I'll upload all the revisions when they're done, so you can read a nice, final draft of this currently rough work. Look for it relatively soon! (I hope.)_


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